Cleared for takeoff, the Emporia Municipal Airport is open again for business after being shuttered for several weeks.

City Engineer Jerry Menefee says runway repairs underway since late August were definitely needed.

"The last time we had pavement done on it was over 20 years ago," he told KVOE News. "It was showing severe cracking. We had some cracks wide than an inch out. Even though the surface was OK, it was getting old and to the point where it needed to be replaced."

Plans are now continuing on possibly resurfacing the airport taxiway, perhaps as soon as next year. Menefee says the city would like to get discretionary funding from Congress to help pay for the project

Meanwhile, the crew which finished out work on the airport runway is now heading to Sixth Avenue to finish out the Konnecting Link, or KLINK, project. This will involve pavement milling and overlay from Corinth to the east city limits in one round, following that with more pavement work from Commercial to Peyton. Work could be done by early October.